Microgrid controller for distributed energy systems

1. A method of operating a microgrid controller of a microgrid, the microgrid including the microgrid controller coupled to one or more network adjacent edge units, the method, comprising: communicating with the one or more network adjacent edge units in the microgrid to receive a set of characteristic parameters and current state parameters, the network adjacent edge units being coupled with the microgrid controller with a local area network, each of the one or more network adjacent edge units being coupled to a power grid, each edge unit including a power distribution section that includes a power grid interface and at least one of a power generation interface, a power storage interface, and a load power interface, and a processing unit that controls and monitors the power distribution section and communicates the set of characteristic parameters and current state parameters that characterize the edge unit to the microgrid controller, the processor determining from multiple sets of instructions a particular set to execute to control the power distribution section; determining an instruction set to execute with the one or more network adjacent edge units, the instruction set being formed as a schedule of activities; providing operating parameters based on the instruction set for each of the one or more network adjacent edge units to execute the instruction set; and monitoring each of the one or more edge units to execute the instruction set.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an instruction set to execute includes choosing a received instruction set received through an internet connection if the internet connection remains active; choosing a last received instruction set if the internet connection is inactive and the last received instruction set can be executed considering available resources; choosing a default instruction set if the internet connection is inactive and the last received instruction set cannot be executed considering available resources.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including choosing the default instruction set if the last received instruction set has expired.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein choosing the default instruction set includes determining one of a number of default instruction sets that can be executed considering available resources.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein considering the available resources includes evaluating characterization parameters of the one or more edge units, evaluating tariff rules associated with the grid, and the current set of the one or more edge units.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the last received instruction set includes a set of required instructions and a set of optional instructions, and further including determining whether the last received instruction set can be executed, comprising: determining whether the set of required instructions included in the last received instruction set can be executed; if the set of required instructions cannot be executed, determining whether the set of required instructions can be executed if one or more of a set of optional instructions are executed; and if the set of required instructions cannot be executed when one or more of the set of optional instructions are executed, determining whether a subset of the set of required instructions can be executed while executing one or more of a set of optional instructions that falls within criteria set by a set of best fit rules.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein each of the default instructions sets includes a set of required instructions and a set of optional instructions, and wherein determining one of a number of default instruction sets that can be executed includes evaluating each of the number of default instruction sets wherein evaluating one of the number of default instruction sets includes: determining whether the set of required instructions included in the default instruction set can be executed; if the set of required instructions cannot be executed, determining whether the set of required instructions can be executed if one or more of the set of optional instructions are executed; and if the required instructions cannot be executed when one or more of the set of optional instructions are executed, determining whether a subset of the required instructions can be executed while executing one or more of the set of optional instructions that falls within criteria set by a set of best fit rules.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with one or more network adjacent edge units includes providing a wired connection between the microgrid controller and at least some of the one or more network adjacent edge units.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with one or more network adjacent edge units includes providing a radio link between the microgrid controller and at least some of the one or more network adjacent edge units.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the edge units can relay communications with the microgrid controller to other edge units through the radio link.

11. A microgrid controller, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; an internet interface coupled to the processor, the internet interface configured to communicate through an internet to receive instruction sets; and a device interface coupled to the processor, the device interface configured to communicate with one or more network adjacent edge units, the network adjacent edge units communicating with the microgrid controller through a local area network, each of the edge units including a power distribution section ( 204 ) that includes a power grid interface ( 208 ) to couple the edge unit with a power grid ( 102 ) and at least one of a power generation interface ( 210 ), a power storage interface ( 212 ), and a load power interface ( 214 ), and a processing unit ( 202 ) that controls and monitors the power distribution section and communicates the set of characteristic parameters and current state parameters that characterize the edge unit to the microgrid controller, the processor determining from multiple sets of instructions ( 320 ) a particular set to execute to control the power distribution section; wherein the processor executes instructions for communicating with the one or more network adjacent edge units through the device interface to receive the set of characteristic parameters and current parameters from each of the one or more network adjacent edge units; determining an instruction set to execute with the one or more network adjacent edge units, the instruction set being formed as a schedule of activities; providing operating parameters based on the instruction set for each of the one or more network adjacent edge units to execute the instruction set; and monitoring the one or more edge units.

12. The microgrid controller of claim 11 , wherein the device interface interfaces to at least some of the one or more edge units with wired cables.

13. The microgrid controller of claim 11 , wherein the device interface interfaces to at least some of the one or more edge units with a radio link.

14. The microgrid controller of claim 13 , wherein the device interface provides instructions through the radio link to at least one of the one or more edge units, which relay the instructions to others of the one or more edge units.

15. The microgrid controller of claim 11 , wherein determining an instruction set to execute includes determining whether the internet interface is active; choosing a received instruction set received through the internet interface if the internet connection remains active; choosing a last received instruction set if the internet interface is inactive and the last received instruction set can be executed considering available resources; choosing a default instruction set if the internet interface is inactive and the last received instruction set cannot be executed considering available resources.

16. The microgrid controller of claim 15 , further including choosing a default instruction set if the last received instruction set has expired.

17. The microgrid controller of claim 15 , wherein choosing a default instruction set includes determining one of a number of default instruction sets that can be executed considering available resources.

18. The microgrid controller of claim 15 , wherein considering the available resources includes evaluating characterization parameters of the one or more edge units, evaluating tariff rules associated with the grid, and the current set of the one or more edge units.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the last received instruction set includes a set of required instructions and a set of optional instructions, and further including determining whether the last received instruction set can be executed, comprising: determining whether the set of required instructions included in the last received instruction set can be executed; if the set of required instructions cannot be executed, determining whether the set of required instructions can be executed if one or more of a set of optional instructions are executed; and if the set of required instructions cannot be executed when one or more of the set of optional instructions are executed, determining whether a subset of the set of required instructions can be executed while executing one or more of a set of optional instructions that falls within criteria set by a set of best fit rules.

20. The microgrid controller of claim 17 , wherein each of the default instruction sets includes a set of required instructions and a set of optional instructions, and wherein determining one of a number of default instruction sets that can be executed includes evaluating each of the number of default instruction sets wherein evaluating one the number of default instruction sets includes: determining whether the set of required instructions included in the default instruction set can be executed; if the set of required instructions cannot be executed, determining whether the set of required instructions can be executed if one or more of the set of optional instructions are executed; and if the required instructions cannot be executed when one or more of the set of optional instructions are executed, determining whether a subset of the required instructions can be executed while executing one or more of the set of optional instructions that falls within criteria set by a set of best fit rules.